In Curse Of Strahd, Ghalwin of the Grove swore an oath to "the Ancients" of Barovia. The land rewarded him with a Familiar in the form of a mystical golden Elk, who appeared wandering from the Svalich Woods. Ghalwin named this steed "Verity" as they emerged from the trees, both as a representation of the land's trust in the paladin and Ghalwin's fundamental commitment to his oath.
As Verity was a fey spirit borne from the land itself, they could not truly die. When killed, they disappeared only until Ghalwin used the land's magic again to re-summon them. The elk escorted Ghalwin through his journeys with the Pack while his party rode Sesame, Bagel, and Lox, but differed from the other mounts. Though Beast-like in form, Verity had a quiet and intelligent presence, and intuitively understood Ghalwin's instructions. Ghalwin could see through his steed's eyes up to a limited range, and could communicate with them, though not through language.
Verity possessed uncommonly thick antlers for an elk, which aided Ghalwin in combat by allowing them to charge down opponents. Given the level of danger the adventurers faced, however, Verity was mostly employed for transport as Ghalwin took on their foe head-on or to escort others away. Ghalwin's ability to summon the elk at any moment meant he could charge down fleeing foes or escape, and used Verity to save Lydia Petrovna's life during the Riots Of The Blazing Sun.
When the Pack was wiped out in Berez by Baba Lysaga, Rudolph van Richten begged Ghalwin to escape on Verity and use The Abbot's miracles to revive them. As Ghalwin escaped, Yrrga tried to take over the paladin, but he rejected her at the cost of his eyes. In a miracle, the Ladies Three sent Shredder to protect Verity, and the two were able to carry Ghalwin over the course of days to the Vistani Camp.